Almost all doors of motor vehicles, particularly of passenger motor vehicles, are equipped with a closing device comprising at least one door lock arranged within the door structure which interacts with a closing bolt arranged in the door frame correspondingly thereto. There, the lock can be transferred into a release position via at least one actuation lever in which release position the closing bolt is released and the door can be opened.
The actuation lever is typically actuatable via a so-called lock rod, which on the other end is in engagement with a handle module typically arranged approximately at the height of the belt line of the door. Among other things, the handle module serves for the fastening of an outer door handle to be actuated by the user. The handle module is furthermore designed to mechanically redirect the actuation of the door handle initiatable by the user in such a manner that the lock rod can transmit a substantially linear movement to the actuation element at the lock end. Typically, a crank or lever-like giver is provided for this purpose on the handle module, on which the lock rod is pivotably mounted.
If for example the outer door handle is actuated, the handle module transmits that actuation into a corresponding pivot movement of its giver. By means of the lock rod the pivot movement is transmitted to the actuation lever or the taker of the lock, so that in the case of an unlocked closing mechanism the closing bolt is released and the door can be opened.
With a closing device of this type, as is already known in broad outlines from GB 1 442 394 it proves problematic if the vehicle door and/or the lock rod is/are subjected to a mechanical deformation as can typically occur during a vehicle collision or during an attempted break-in in the vehicle. Through the direct or indirect force effect on the lock rod the lock in effect can be transferred into a release position and the vehicle door thus opened. Because of the known weakness, vehicle thieves very gladly make use of elongated and pointed objects such as screwdrivers which they thrust through the outer door panel from the outside below the outer door handle so that the screwdriver brings about a movement or deformation of the lock rod in the sense that said lock rod transfers the actuation lever of the lock into the release position. Other types of break-in attempts are directed at entering the interior region of the door structure from the top, for example via a window shaft opening and, there, manually actuating the lock rod in the desired manner for example by means of a wire or metal hook.
Known locking devices for motor vehicle doors additionally have the disadvantage that during a deformation of the door structure due to a collision they have a tendency to transfer the lock into its release position, so that the door opens and the vehicle occupants can no longer be optimally protected especially in such critical situations.
It is therefore at least one object to make available a closing device for motor vehicle doors which with regard to the occupant protection has improved crash characteristics and greater resistance to forced opening of the vehicle door. It is additionally an object to make available a simplified and more cost-effective assembly concept for a closing device of a motor vehicle door. In addition, other objects, desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent summary and detailed description, and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background.